It had been less than five minutes when Lotus could hear the loud thuds behind the door to the room she walked out off. Three minutes later, a familiar figure walked out of the room.
"Oh!" Lotus smiled, "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Lotus!" The Octavinelle student responded with a wide smile in a friendly manner, "Our vice-dorm leader had sent me out to accompany you today. Our apologies that you had to encounter such a scene like this today."
Lotus shook her head with a calm smile and a hoarse voice, "It's all well. We were at fault for crashing into your meeting today."
"The dorm leader would speak with you after the meeting is over." The Octavinelle student responded, "But, I'm a little confused to be honest."
"Yes?"
"I overheard the vice-dorm leader and his brother said that you were in on this contract, so why did you deny any involvement with them." The Octavinelle student questioned her curiously, "I know I sound a little..."
Lotus chuckled, "It's fine. I'm willing to respond. It's because I'm not with Grim and the others in the contract. I've already fulfilled my own requirements. But, Grim and the others couldn't."
"But, the reason you're here..."
"I'm here because our supervisor just couldn't leave Grim and our friends alone. However..." Lotus sighed as she stared at the closed double doors, "I agree with Azul that it was their fault for not upholding and signing the contract they agreed on."
"You're not going to help him?" The student questioned curiously.
Lotus shrugged, "Nope."
"But..."
Lotus smiled, "He and the others will be out between a few days to a few weeks. Regardless of what the dorm leader said, can a teacher teach students magic if they can't use their magic anymore?"
The Octavinelle student raised a brow curiously before his eyes widen upon realization, "Ooh... I see now."
Lotus laughed, "Good. But, you might as well keep that a secret that you know or else, they would be worried that their secret is leaked out."
"To think the dorm leader has this idea..." The student looked to the door curiously.
"This is your dorm leader. Do you dislike this fact about him?"
He shook his head with a wide smile, "No. He is rather amazing that he could think this far..."
Lotus nodded her head, "I agree too. Once he entered the adults' society, he'd be able to run a business with little problems. But, I wonder..."
"Hm?"
Lotus shook her head with a wry smile, "It's nothing..."
The Octavinelle student was confused but dismissed her last phrase. However, Lotus still could get rid of this nagging feeling in her chest.
That look on the Azul's face just now...
After coming this far, what else is he worried about?
.....
Sure enough, Azul arrived with a smile on his face as he greeted her courteously and she did so kindly in response. However, Lotus could feel the change in his presence. He seemed overjoyed and a little guarded around her. Lotus smiled and handed a note to her new friend as well as giving him an instruction to hand the note to her supervisor.
She, then, followed Azul away to his office once more where it was the same table and sofa. A coffee table sat in the center and a large safe in gold behind his black leather chair.
Lotus was gestured to a chair across from Azul as he began with a wide smile, "It would seem that you have completed your contract. Congratulations! Now, as per our contract, I would owe you a favor it would seem."
"That's right." Lotus responded with a smile.
"I'm afraid it would be impossible for me to invalidate the contract set between me and your dear friends-"
"Oh, I'm not here for that." Lotus smirked when she heard this.
"Eh?" Azul looked to her in surprise before narrowing his eyes, "You're not here to... nullify the contract?"
"Nope." Lotus said with a sigh, "I don't know what made you and your staff think I was here to save him. Even if we are close, I'm not their parents nor am I so nice as to save them from the graves they dug everytime. Besides..."
Lotus smirked as she continued, "You said you'd work them to the bone... Not to their death. So, why should I be worried?"
"Ah... Is that so? That's true..." Azul looked to her in confusion, "But, to disregard your friendship..."
Lotus smiled wider, "We're friends, yes. However, Night Ravens College is only one step from entering society. This is the time they learn to be responsible for their own decisions. From this incident, they were at fault for not taking things into consideration before recklessly making a deal with others. For such a reason, I find no fault for them to learn from their own errs and take responsibilities before they enter adult society. I won't always be there to save them, you know."
Hearing this, Azul was flabbergasted for a brief moment before he sighed with a smirk, "So, it would seem there is sense talking to you out of everyone today."
Lotus chuckled, "Good luck. I'll be around to make sure Grim doesn't act out of line and buy myself a drink or two while I'm here."
Azul laughed, "Haha! I see... Then, what is your favor?"
Lotus smiled, "Not yet. As I've fulfilled the requirements of our contracts, I hope to regain my stone back from you."
"Very well." Azul nodded and handed her back her stone that still shone brightly.
Lotus took it with a nod and stuffed it back into her pocket before continuing, "Next is my favor."
Azul nodded again with a plastic smile on his face, "Go ahead."
Lotus gestured to the safe, "I know this is where you keep all of your contracts..."
"Oh?" Azul raised a brow.
Lotus raised a brow back and sighed in exasperation, "If those contracts are as indestructible as you say, then there should be a small space I could borrow in that safe to store one thing."
Azul frowned, "Then, you mean..."
"I would like to use the safe once in the near future. Basically put," Lotus responded bluntly, "I want you to protect something in the near future."
"Oh?" The Dorm Leader smirked, "So, it's something of importance..."
"Apparently, so..." Lotus responded vaguely, "According to my friend outside of campus, it is something very important, but that's just it. I'll have to get more information out of them after I've received the item. Of course, I'm not trying to endanger the entire dorm or school, so I'll let know know more information about the object once I hear more about it. For now, I can only say that it's about the size of a palm and flat. It'll be stored in a wooden box enchanted by magic once it arrives in my hands. It would seem they are rather nervous of losing this item."
"So, it was that important." Azul's eyes widen in surprise, "How did you..."
"Hey, I have my connections too, you know." Lotus smirked before she said firmly again with a stern look, "I was told that the item was said to be magical and powerful, but unable to influence its surroundings. So, I can ensure you that your dorm, much less the office, would get harmed by the item."
Azul thought for a bit before he finally responded with a sigh in defeat, "I understand... So, you can't pinpoint the exact day it would come in?"
Lotus nodded, "I can't pinpoint the exact day. They have been running back and forth from place to place and they finally to came to after hearing that I got enrolled into Night Ravens College. Hardly anyone can sneak into campus and the school is protected. It would be good for the item and I've made sure the item is legally owned and would be legally transferred over into my care."
"But, you don't have magic." Azul frowned.
"That's correct." Lotus sighed, "They probably just want to make use of the school's security to protect the item. I'd be hold accountable if I can't bring out the item anyway. Regardless, you won't have any illegal involvement with the entire process, so you do not have to worry about all of this coming back to you. I'll even show the plate to you when I received it. At least I was told it was a plate."
"I see." Azul sighed in relief, "Then, I'll await for its arrival."
"The main thing is that it has to be under your care since I don't have the magic to protect it." Lotus nodded.
"Do you know how long it would remain with me, then?" Azul questioned curiously wondering if it would be as spectacular as the stone she had given him as the collateral before.
Lotus shook her head, "That's the confusing part. Apparently, the item would tell us when it is ready to leave, I have yet to hear of all the circumstances, but we would know more once it's in my hands."
"Hm..."
.....
"Then, I'll be taking my leave now." Lotus responded as she got up from the sofa.
"Mh." Azul nodded with a smile and got up as well, "Let me lead you out then."
"It's all right." Lotus responded with a smile and was about to leave when she paused in her steps, "Ah, right..."
She turned around to him and asked, "After this incident, will you be..."
Lotus paused between her words and thought for a bit before shaking her head, "Nevermind... See you later, then..."
She didn't leave till in the evening when she entered the cafeteria to which she had some food and made some for Grim as well. The guy is stuck wiping the tables by now with the other students.
As she was pouring pear juice into a cup, she noticed a change in the air and she smiled and turned to find a strange tanned student apparently waiting for her to finish on the counter. She watched him curiously and noticed some differences between him and the other students. He has gold bangles on his left wrist, a thick choker, small hair accessories on the ends of his braids, and a snake armband that curls on his upper right arm. He also wore a cropped black vest with gold detail and red lapels over a sleeveless black hoodie with red trim on the inside, plain other than the gold design on the hood. That vest...
She nodded and stuffed the contents of food into her bag before retreating with a cracked voice, "Sorry for the wait."
"It's fine." He responded bluntly as she left the kitchen.
It was only after reaching the counter that he noticed a piece of paper on the counter and raised a brow.